Sandbag support



Patented Mar. 30, 1937 PATENT OFFICE SAN DBAG SUPPORT Harry Schlesinger,Des Moines, Iowa, assignor of one-half to Alfred F. Yoerg, Des Moines,Iowa Application November 18, 1935, Serial No. 50,400

9 Claims.

An object of my present invention is to provide a sand bag structure forpressing hat brims, the structure being comparatively simple, andinexpensive from a manufacturing standpoint.

A further object is to provide a sand bag structure in which the heavysand bag is raised by a spring or the like, the bag being loweredmanually by a handle provided for that purpose and latched in thelowered position.

A further object is to provide a latch which, although there is atendency for it to remain in latched position caused by frictionproduced by the means which raises the sand bag, can be readily releasedand to provide in connection with the latching means for the sand bag, ahydraulic check means so that the sand bag will not slam upwardly, thusproducing excessive Wear and a possibility of breaking parts of thedevice.

A further object is to provide a hydraulic check means so as toeliminate the necessity for the operator to hold the sand bag frommoving upwardly too quickly.

A further object is to provide a device of the kind described in which asupporting post encloses a spring which ciounterbalances and raises thesand bag when the latch is released, a cylinder and plunger assemblybeing provided within the post and the post constituting a reservoir foroil for the cylinder and plunger, these parts forming a hydraulic checkfor the movement of the sand bag upwardly.

A further object is to provide in the hydraulic check, a check valveoperable to permit quick entrance of oil to the cylinder when loweringthe sand bag manually and a vent for permitting restricted fiow only ofoil out of the cylinder when the latch is released and the spring withinthe post raises the sand bag.

With these and other objects in View my in- 40 vention consists in theconstruction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of mydevice, whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinaftermore fully set forth, pointed out in my claims and illustrated in theaccompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a sand bag support embodying myinvention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 1showing the post and internal details thereof.

Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 3--3 of Figure 1 showing on anenlarged scale the latch lug and a latch pin latched together,

Figure 4 is a sectional view on the line 4--4 (if-Figure 3; and

Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 4 showing the parts nearly latched.

I have used the reference numeral I0 on the accompanying drawing toindicate a base. The base i0 is forked to straddle a hat supportingblock l2 and is provided with an upstanding boss M at one side thereof.The boss I4 is tubular and receives the lower endfof a tubular post I6.The post 16 is held therein by a set screw [8. The post is shouldered at20 (see Figure 2) to limit its position with respect to the boss.

A collar 22 surrounds the post l6 and serves as a rest for a boss 24 ofa supporting arm 26 of disc shape. The arm 26 has a boss 28 opposite theboss 24. A sand bag supporting shaft 30 is Vertically slidable in'theboss 28. On the lower end of the shaft 30 I provide a'spider 32 for supporting a sand bag casing 34. The bottom of the casing 34 is closed by aplurality of fire proof fabric covers 36 on top of which an electricheating element 38 is mounted. The space within the casing 34 above thecover 36 is filled with sand 40 in the usual manner.

The cover 36 is adapted for contacting with the brim 42 of a hat 44,which brim rests on a ring 46 of the proper size to fit the hat, thebrim. of which is being pressed. When the sand bag is in the loweredposition, the weight of the sand causes equal conformation of the cover36 to the hat brim throughout the entire area thereof.

A hub-like member 48 is secured as by a clamping bolt 50 to the shaft38. This member is provided with a slot 52 receiving a pin 54-of anoperating lever 56. The lever 56 is pivoted to the arm 26 at 58 and hasa manipulating handle 60.

Opposite the handle 60 the end of the lever 56 is connected by a link 62with a rod 64. The rod 64 extends slidably through a head 66 of the boss24 and into the post l6. Its lower end is slidable in and guided by acylinder 68. The rod constitutes a plunger in the cylinder.

I provide a spring 10 of sufficient strength to counterbalance theweight of the sand bag and raise it. The lower end of the spring is an.-chored to afiange l2 abutting against a shoulder M of the post l6. Theupper end is anchored to a collar 16 secured as by a pin 18 to the rod64.

The cylinder 68 is held stationary'relative to the post 5 by a fittingscrewed into the lower end of the post below a suitable gasket 82. Thefitting B0 is provided with a slot 84 for receiving a tool to screw'thefitting into the post.

Within the fitting 80 a valve seat 86 is provided on whichisnormallyseated a ball valve-88. A

strainer screen 90 isprovided interposedbetween the fitting and thespace within the post I 6 which space constitutes a reservoir for oil92. Passageways 94 and 96 are provided in the flange I2 and the fitting80 respectively, for permitting flow of oil. The fitting 80 is alsoprovided with a vent 98, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear.

position of Figure 4 by a spring H2. A suitable,

stop may be provided to limit the clockwise rotation of the latch pinI06. In Figure 1 I show a stop pin I I4 for this purpose.

Practical operation In the operation of my sand bag support, the plunger64 normally assumes the position shown by full lines in Figure 2 and thehandle 60 is raised. When it is desired to use the sand bag to press ahat brim, the handle 60 is grasped and pulled downwardly, therebylowering the sand bag and stretching the spring 70. The latch extensionI00 will first assume the dotted position shown in Figure 5 and thenupon further downward movement the incline I02 will rotate the latch pinI 06 against the action of the spring I I2 to the full line position andfinally when the notch I ll lregisters with the latch pin as shown inFigure 4 the spring IIZ will swing the latch pin back to the positionshown in Figure 4. The sand bag is now securely latched in position.

When it is desired to raise the sand bag to its upper position, it ismerely necessary to swing the bell crank H0 counter-clockwise so thatthe bottom of the notch I03 will swing to a substantially verticalposition, which releases the extension I00 and permits the spring 10 tocontract. The operation of swinging the latch pin I06 from the positionof Figure 4 to the position of Figure 5 is comparatively easy becausethe circumference of the pin I 06, which constitutes a latching surface,is naturally on a radius from the pivotal axis of the pin. The spring,however, will not contract quickly because it must force the oil out ofthe cylinder 68 through the vent 98 which is quite small and thereforepermits the sand bag to move up slowly instead of quickly and eliminatesthe necessity of the operator having to retain the handle against quickupward movement.

When the handle is moved downwardly, however, the valve 88 lifts off theseat 86 and permits quick entry of the oil 92 to the cylinder 68, whichis obviously desirable. The screen 90, aside from keeping dirt out ofthe check valve, serves to prevent air from being drawn into thecylinder and thus forming air pockets. The post I6 may be provided withan oil filler plug II6 into which oil can be introduced until it reachesthe level of the p ug.

Some changes may be made in the construction and arrangement of theparts of my device without departing from the real spirit and purpose ofmy invention and it is my intention to cover by my claims any modifiedforms of structure or use of mechanical equivalents which may bereasonably included within their scope.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a sand bag support, a base, a post extending upwardly therefrom, asand bag, a vertical shaft connected with said sand bag, said postsupporting said shaft for sliding movement, a lever pivoted to said postand to said vertical shaft for lowering said sand bag by swinging saidlever, a latch for retaining said sand bag in lowered position, a springwithin said post and connected with s a id lever for raising said sandbag when said latch is released and hydraulic means within said post tocheck the movement upwardly of said sand bag.

2. In a sand bag support, a base,a post extending upwardly therefrom, asand bag, a vertical shaft connected with said sand bag, said postsupporting said shaft for sliding movement, a lever pivoted to said postfor lowering said sand bag, a latch for retaining said sand bag inlowered position, a spring within said post and connected with saidlever for raising said sand bag when said latch is released andhydraulic means within said post to check the movement upwardly of saidsand bag, said post constituting a reservoir for liquid for saidhydraulic means.

3. In a sand bag support, a base, a post'extending upwardly therefrom, asand bag, a vertical shaft connected with said sand bag, said postsupporting said shaft for sliding movement, a lever pivoted to said postfor lowering said sand bag, a latch for retaining said sand bag inlowered position, a spring within said post and connected with saidlever for raising said sand bag when said latch is released andhydraulic means within said post to check the movement upwardly of saidsand bag, said hydraulic means comprising a cylinder stationary in saidpost, a plunger connected with said lever, liquid for said cylinder andplunger, a check valve permitting quick flow of the liquid into saidcylinder when lowering said sand bag and a vent for permitting onlyrestricted exit of said liquid from said cylinder upon release of saidlatch.

4. In a sand bag support, a base, apost extending upwardly therefrom, asand bag, a vertical shaft connected with said sand bag, said postsupporting said shaft for sliding movement, a lever pivoted to said postfor lowering said sand bag, a latch for retaining said sand bag inlowered position, a spring within said post and connected with saidlever for raising said sand bag whenv said latch is released andhydraulic means within said post to check the movement upwardly of saidsand bag, said hydraulic means comprising a cylinder plunger connectedwith said lever, liquid for said cylinder and plunger, said postconstituting a reservoir for such liquid, a check valve permitting quickfiow of the liquid into said cylinder when lowering said sand bag and avent for permitting only restricted exit of said liquid from saidcylinder upon release of said latch.

5. In a sand bag structure, a frame including a hollow post, a sand bagsupported for movement relative thereto, means tending to raise saidsand bag, a handle provided for manually lowering said sand bag, a latchfor retaining said sand bag in lowered position, a piston within saidhollow post and operatively connected with said sand bag for movementsimultaneously therewith, and fluid within said hollow post to check themovement of said piston and thereby said sand bag to raised positionupon release of said latch, and vent means to permit relatively slowpassage of said fluid past said piston.

. 6. In a sand bag structure, a sand bag, means tending to raise saidsand bag, a handle provided for manually lowering said sand bag, apivotally mounted latch for retaining said sand bag in lowered positionand hydraulic means to check stationary in said post, a

the movement of said sand bag to raised position upon release of saidlatch, said latch including a latching surface formed on a radius fromthe pivotal axis of the latch to permit ease of manipulation of saidlatch against the action of said first means.

7. In a sand bag support, a base, a post extending upwardly therefrom, asand bag, a vertical shaft connected with said sand bag, said postsupporting said shaft for sliding movement, a lever pivoted to said postfor lowering said sand bag, a pivotally mounted latch for retaining saidsand bag in lowered position, a spring within said post and connectedwith said lever for raising said sand bag when said latch is releasedand hydraulic means within said post to check the movement upwardly ofsaid sand bag, said latch including a latching surface formed on aradius from the pivotal axis of the latch to permit ease of manipulationof said latch against the action of said first means.

8. In a sand bag structure, a sand bag, means tending to raise said sandbag, a handle provided for manually lowering said sand bag, a latch forretaining said sand bag in lowered position and hydraulic means to checkthe movement of said sand bag to raised position upon release of saidlatch, said hydraulic means comprising a cylinder and a plunger, liquidfor said cylinder and plunger, a check valve permitting quick flow ofliquid into the cylinder when lowering said sand bag and a ventpermitting restricted exit only of liquid from said cylinder uponrelease of said latch.

9. In a sand bag structure, a sand bag, means tending to raise said sandbag, a handle provided for manually lowering said sand bag, a pivotallymounted latch for retaining said sand bag in lowered position andhydraulic means to check the movement of said sand bag to raisedposition upon release of said latch, said hydraulic means comprising acylinder and a plunger, liquid for said cylinder and plunger, 2, checkvalve permitting quick fiow of liquid into the cylinder when loweringsaid sand bag and a vent permitting restricted exit only of liquid fromsaid cylinder upon release of said latch, said latch including alatching surface formed on a radius from the pivotal axis of the latchto permit ease of manipulation of said latch against the action of saidfirst means.

HARRY SCHLESINGER.

